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Ok, for months I have tried to look for a way to install Expression Web with an XML and other ways. I have failed in all. Even when I call the XML from the run screen I only see it start without using a bit of my XML. I tried to just let it install, after making a few changes to the setup and customizing parts on the XML, and this failed also. I was reading on other forums and websites that I am not the only one that is stuck. When I post the question on the Expression Web MS forum I got no response.

I guess I will just chalk it up to MS releasing things that do not work like advertised. I ended up just allow Office 2007 to install EW through the Admin setup MSI and told my Unattended installer to run it as an attended setup. Really hurts the time managment system to have to keep an eye on all my computers just to insert one key.

If someone has found a way, but has just not see this post yet, please assist me with this!

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I guess I will just chalk it up to MS releasing things that do not work like advertised.

Yeah, or user error, which is usually the case, right?

Perhaps you are making this more complicated than need be. Just create a config.xml file and put it in the Updates directory. Then run setup, no switches required. All too easy. My config.xml file for the Academic Version of Expression Web:

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I guess I will just chalk it up to MS releasing things that do not work like advertised.

Yeah, or user error, which is usually the case, right?

Perhaps you are making this more complicated than need be. Just create a config.xml file and put it in the Updates directory. Then run setup, no switches required. All too easy. My config.xml file for the Academic Version of Expression Web:

I wish I could say that worked, but i would be wrong. That is the same way I have tried it in the past. I have the retail version and when I place the file in the updates directory it just acts like it is not there. When I place it in the root and command line it like this

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OK, that's because I messed up (recall my smarta$$ "user error" comment). Looks like the config.xml file that needs to be edited is located in the WebDesigner.WW directory. I made a copy of the original and then dropped mine in, overwriting the original. I am no longer pestered for the product key but still have a dialogue or two to get past. Right now I'm getting prompted to install or customize the install. I'm still poking around.

I thought my previous method worked, but in retrospect I was probably just installing/uninstalling on a single machine and leaving behind data in the registry. I need to get this working on a clean install soon myself, will post back with any results.

The ONLY information I could find re this topic was HERE. Looks like the config.xml file might need a reference to an .msi /q combination to install silent?

Edit: Looks like that's the config.xml file to be working with: I can enter the product key, user and company name, bypass the EULA, etc., but I keep getting stopped by the "Install Now/Customize" dialogue. Guess I could AutoIt . . . but it would be nice to .xml the whole show.

Edit/Edit: I punted and went with AutoIt (too easy). I edited the config.xml script found in the WebDesigner.WW directory as per above and then ran the following script from the root directory:

If you encounter issues, use Task Manager to kill the "install.exe" process and PM me with any gripes or suggestions.

The script runs setup without any switches (it's looking to the config.xml file in WebDesigner.WW by default, so please ensure it has been edited as per above) then waits for the Install/Customize dialogue. When the dialogue appears the Install button is clicked after a two second delay. The script next pauses for five seconds to ensure that setup has begun, then waits for setup to finish before exiting. There are four (4) Office 2007 critical updates related to the Expression Web install as of this writing that get installed along the way by extracting the .msp file from the update and placing each in the "updates" directory (KB934391, KB934062, KB932080, AND KB934393). You need to implement that. Works just fine now, if you don't mind the default installation.

Edited August 6, 2007 by blinkdt

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Just to follow up on this, I recently laid hands on my school's volume license version (locked in a safe for the past year or more) and placed the config.xml file copied from WebDesigner.WW alongside setup.exe in the directory root, customized it, and everything worked fine. No need for switches, nada. My config.xml looks like this:

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Just to follow up on this, I recently laid hands on my school's volume license version (locked in a safe for the past year or more) and placed the config.xml file copied from WebDesigner.WW alongside setup.exe in the directory root, customized it, and everything worked fine. No need for switches, nada.

I follow your new method, but installation is in default mode. In the past I used your previous method with the next script to install full:

Now you don't need to specify a path to the config.xml. In the past, when I put the config.xml in the "Updates" directory it didn't work at all. Keeping it in WebDesigner.WW did not work completely unattended (I used AutoIt to click one button). Placing it alongside Setup.exe did the trick. Now just run Setup.exe, no switches required. And remember: I'm using a volume license version now, not my single install retail disk. Hope that helps.